Sadly not . If you go by Joey being 22 in 1939, then Rivals should be 1933. If you go by the series starting in 1925, then Rivals should be 1928. If you go by the visit to the Passion Play being 1930, then Rivals should be 1929. So no-one can argue with any year of your choice between those dates - whichever suits you best!

And I don't think there are any days given that might be something you could try to use to tie it down, a la Carola's birthday or the mention in Head Girl of Sunday being the first of June (although that doesn't work with either of that book's most likely dates)

Thank you, Alison and KB! I was thinking I'd like to write about Grizel post Head Girl, that is, during Rivals - maybe in 1933, since the Second World War feels a bit less immovable than Oberammeragau!

As there was a special 300th anniversary performance of the Oberammergau Play in 1934, 1933 works well for tying in to that too.

_________________to be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. e.e.cummingshttp://stitchwords.blogspot.co.uk

As there was a special 300th anniversary performance of the Oberammergau Play in 1934, 1933 works well for tying in to that too.

Though the snag there is that the CS visit to Oberammergau takes place in The Chalet School and Jo, which was published in 1931...

Yes, but it's as good a way as any to push the date forward by 4 or 5 years

_________________to be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. e.e.cummingshttp://stitchwords.blogspot.co.uk

As there was a special 300th anniversary performance of the Oberammergau Play in 1934, 1933 works well for tying in to that too.

Though the snag there is that the CS visit to Oberammergau takes place in The Chalet School and Jo, which was published in 1931...

Yes, but it's as good a way as any to push the date forward by 4 or 5 years

Sorry, we'll have to agree to differ on that one, but then I don't see why anyone who writes a drabble can't take what direction they fancy with the timing. We know that the dates don't stack up in the real world, as Alison has already reminded us...

As there was a special 300th anniversary performance of the Oberammergau Play in 1934, 1933 works well for tying in to that too.

Though the snag there is that the CS visit to Oberammergau takes place in The Chalet School and Jo, which was published in 1931...

Yes, but it's as good a way as any to push the date forward by 4 or 5 years

Sorry, we'll have to agree to differ on that one, but then I don't see why anyone who writes a drabble can't take what direction they fancy with the timing. We know that the dates don't stack up in the real world, as Alison has already reminded us...

I'm not sure we are actually disagreeing; I was suggesting - or meaning to - that although EBD's mention of Oberammergau must have been to the 1930 performances, by publication date of And Jo, if Housemate took it as being the 1934 date - which works quite well with the later dates that EBD gives her stories from Exile on - it would fit in with her wish to set her story in 1933...

_________________to be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. e.e.cummingshttp://stitchwords.blogspot.co.uk

David and Sybil's ages jump around like mad . David was born when Joey was 15, which should have made him 6 1/2 years older than the triplets. His birthday is originally in early summer but later moves back to April, and then moves to May .

Charles is born in the June when the triplets are 4 1/2, making the age difference 11 years if David was 6 1/2 when the triplets were born. David's coming up for 16 in Carola, when Charles is coming up for 5, which also makes the age difference 11 years. But Sybil was 10, making David 12, in Rescue, which would make David 13 when Charles was born. Then it all goes haywire because Sybil stays 14 for about 3 years, then regains her missing years between leaving school and getting engaged!